


Show, Not Tell

by Rachel_Lu



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Deaf, F/M, Falling In Love, I Love You, Promises, Protectiveness, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6671560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose suffers temporary deafness after a recent adventure and the Doctor tries to comfort her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Show, Not Tell

She was watching him dance around the console, mostly because she had to watch.  They'd been caught in a revolution on the last planet, which was nothing unusual, but the explosion that threw Rose to the ground and temporarily took her hearing was something else entirely.  The Doctor had carried Rose back to the TARDIS, afraid of what would happen to her since she couldn't hear.

He'd written out 'temporary' on a white board, and Rose had breathed out a sigh of relief.  She slumped over on the examination table and the Doctor had gathered her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her temple before dragging her out to the console room with him.

It was disorienting to be deaf, to not be able to hear what was going on around her and respond to it accordingly.  She groaned loudly, though it didn't reach her ears she could feel it rumble through her throat.  

The Doctor turned around and his lips twitched in a smile.  He picked up the white board he'd been carrying around to write to her on, and scrawled something out on it.  He turned it over so she could look at it. 

_Miss my voice already?_

She let out a bark of laughter and stood from the jump seat, wrapping her arms around his neck.  He dropped the white board to the cushion and hugged her back, humming happily against her so she could feel the vibrations of it. 

This would last at least a week, and he was already being so thoughtful.  He'd promised to follow her around, and sit outside the bathroom door while she showered in case she needed anything.  Rose agreed and pulled away from him, stroking her hands along his shoulders.  He rubbed his thumbs on her ribs before reaching around her to pick up his whiteboard.  He erased the words and jerked his head towards the hall.

Ah.  A shower and to bed with her, it would seem.  That was probably best, considering how depressed she was already feeling with the loss of her hearing.  The Doctor made sure she knew he was right at her side, his hand sliding into hers.  She smiled up at him, grateful for the gesture, and he gave her a thousand-watt grin back.  

He swung her hand playfully and she giggled, feeling her heart tug at the thought that she could not hear the laugh he was certainly giving to her.  

As though he could sense this, he tugged her closer to him, leaning his head against hers as they walked.  It was things like this that she tried not to think about.  The little touches of intimacy that told her that he was certainly interested in more than just friendship with her.  She knew it was untrue, that he didn't love her, but without her hearing she could really imagine it.

They entered her bedroom and he sat himself on the trunk in front of her bed as she prepared her things for the shower.  it was disorienting to not hear the rustling of clothes or the shutting of her drawers.  Every so often she would look to the Doctor for reassurance, who would give her a little smile to encourage her.  She blew her bangs out of her face and headed to the en suite to shower.  The Doctor was at her side in a moment, showing her the whiteboard.

_I'll sit outside the door._

"Thank you," she said, or tried to say.  Either way, it was quiet because she was trying not to shout, and she ducked into the en suite.

The showering process was as quick as she could make it, because she really didn't want to have to be in there alone for too long.  Even though she knew there was nothing and nobody else in there with her, she felt skittish and unsure about it all.  

She dried herself off nearly violently and pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a vest top, leaving the en suite with a brush in hand and an angry expression on her face.  She sat on the middle of the bed, blowing past the Doctor in the process, and began ripping at her hair with the brush.  

The Doctor was seated behind her in a minute, the brush taken roughly from her hand and his hand stroking soothingly down her shoulder.  She huffed angrily and he leaned close to her neck and shushed her.  She wasn't sure how she could tell what he was trying to say or do, but she sighed and let her head hang forward.

He still hadn't relinquished her brush and she looked down at the whiteboard when he set it before her. 

_I know this is hard.  I'll stay with you tonight._

"Thanks," she could feel her voice at a whisper.  

He started running the brush through her hair, being incredibly gentle, starting at the ends of her hair and moving upwards.  She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the sensation.  His touches were reassuring and borderline loving, and when he was done she found that she was going to miss his touch immensely.  

And then he stood up and took his tie off.  And his jacket, and his oxford, and his trainers, and his trousers, leaving him in boxers, socks, and an undershirt.  Her mouth fell open and she looked at him in confusion. 

He leaned forward and circled 'I'll stay with you tonight' on the board.  She nodded and moved up the bed to crawl under the covers.  He followed, leaving the whiteboard close by and curling around her, his arm around her waist.

The heat of him around her was immensely comforting, and she felt the safest she had been since they'd left the planet.  She cuddled back into him and he squeezed her in response.  It was a beautiful moment, even in the silence, and she found her eyes fluttering closed in the respite of it all.

When she woke up the next morning, he was still spooned up behind her, and without being able to hear his breathing she had no clue as to if he was awake or not.  Her eyes were still closed and she could feel his breath against her neck.  He leaned into her ever so slightly and if she weren't so focused on him she would have missed it. 

His lips brushed her neck and she felt herself gasp.  This touch was unexpected. He trailed his lips up to the skin just under her ear, biting there gently.  One of his hands swept her hair out of the way and he continued his exploration of her neck and ear, touching and kissing her gently.  

She rolled over quite suddenly, staring him down, trying to gauge his intentions.  His eyes were dark and he curled a piece of hair behind her ear, the touch reverent, and held up a finger. 

_Wait here._

He picked up the white board and started to write on it, his tongue touching his top lip in concentration.  He turned it to show it to her, an earnest and nervous look in his eyes. 

_I want to be with you properly.  I want to show you what I feel for you._

"Why now?" she asked, feeling as though she was shouting. 

He wrote more, viciously, as though if he took too long she would kick him out of her bed and out of her room.  He turned the white board again and almost hit himself in the head because of it. 

_Because I could've lost you yesterday, without you knowing._

She smiled softly and ran her hand through his hair.  "My Doctor," even without being able to hear it, she could tell that it was just barely above a whisper.

His lips parted and she wished for the world that she could've heard the sound he made before he leaned forward and kissed her properly.  She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him to her.  He threw the white board over his shoulder and clutched at her waist, rolling her onto her back as he opened his mouth over hers.  

She ran her hands into his hair and tugged, making him let out a deep breath that she was sure was a groan against her mouth, and _God,_ she wanted to hear it, wanted to hear his voice, the sounds he was making.

He moved his mouth to her neck, kissing his way down it, murmuring against her skin, the vibrations going through her and making her eyes flutter shut.  She found out, then, what exactly was going on.  He was showing her he loved her.  Every touch of his hands and mouth proved it to her.  She could tell him, but she wasn't going to if he couldn't say it back. So instead she settled for touching him anywhere she could, her hands running over him, nails scraping up his t-shirt covered back and making him exhale a long breath against her collarbone.  

The Doctor continued to talk against her skin, and she whimpered.  That continued for several minutes, the touches and kisses bringing her nearly to tears with the intensity of him and the intensity of his love.  He finally returned to her mouth and pressed down to take her mouth again in a nearly violent fashion. 

She felt a crackling in her ears but ignored it, cupping his cheeks in her hands and showing him just as much as she was showing her what he meant.  Her ears popped and she cried out in pain.   The Doctor pulled back, and she could hear him breathing.

"Doctor?" She tested her voice and laughed gleefully when she could hear herself. 

He furrowed his brows at her.  She ran her feet along his calves.  "I can hear," she said, kissing his jaw, "My ears popped."

He sighed and his eyes fluttered shut.  "You beautiful woman, you are so impossible," he said, voice full of awe.  "You should've had your hearing lost for a week."

"It hasn't been a week."

He made an odd noise and then grinned at her.  "Time is relative."  His face turned serious and he cupped her cheek.  "I love you."

She knew, had known from his touch on her and his breath on her skin.  "Oh, I know," she whispered.  "My Doctor, I love you too."

He proceeded to show her very adequately without words.


End file.
